Turning spud



Nov. 8, 1966 M. J. MGINTYRE TURNING SPUD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1964 MAURICE J. MC INTYRE INVENTOR.

AT TORNE vs Nov. 8, 1966 Filed June 15, 1964 FlG 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ti: I.

l 1 1 1 l I so l 32 3| MAURICE J. MG INTYRE INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,283,454 TURNING SPUD Maurice J. McIntyre, Sedro Woolley, Wash, assignor to The Humboldt Company, Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Washington Filed June 15, 1964, Ser. No. 375,122 6 Claims. (Cl. 52-114) This invention relates to improvements in portable logging towers and their mobilized carrier vehicles or under carriages. More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provision of what I have herein designated as a turning spud and to the application of this turning spud to the under carriage or carrier of a portable logging tower or spar.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide and to apply the present turning spud as an accessory to the tower carrier or under carriage for its use when needed as a supporting pivot about which the entire tower and carrier unit may be turned from one angular setting to another, without requiring the usual dismantling of the tower guy lines and lowering of the tower in order to make the change in setting.

Further objects and advantages of this invention reside in the specific formation of parts embodied in the spud; and in the manner and place of its application to the tower carrier vehicle, and in the manner of its use as hereinafter described.

Still further advantages of the invention reside in the various accessories employed with the carrier vehicle for coaction with the spud in its functional use.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, and combination of parts, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- FIG. 1 is a side view of an erected logging tower, showing its under carrier as equipped with the present turning spud; the spud being shown in use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear end view of the tower carrier vehicle as equipped with the present turning spud.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail of the spud as attached to the carrier vehicle; this view being taken on line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

A logging tower with which the present spud is employed, is designated in its entirety in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 10. It is here shown to be of telescopic construction, having a tubular lower end section a from which and into which an upper end or top section 10b is telescopically movable. The lower end section, 10a, is pivotally supported at predetermined intervals and distances above its base end, for example, as at 10p in FIG. 1 between paired laterally spaced supporting frames 11-11 which are rigidly mounted in transversely aligned positions on the horizontal bed frame structure 12 of a mobile under carriage or carrier by which the collapsed tower when in a horizontal position of support may be transported from one location to another.

It has been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, that the bed frame structure 12 of the under carriage includes a transversely disposed, rigidly secured box-frame housing 13 which has a horizontal bottom wall 13b to which the turning spud 15 of this invention is attached for use, as presently described.

It has also been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, that the bed frame 12 of the under carriage is equipped at its opposite sides, near its rear end portion, with paired leveling jacks 16-16, including base pads 16'; these jacks preferably being hydraulically extendable to engage against the supporting ground surface in transversely leveling the 3,283,454 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 See frame of the carrier vehicle. Also, they are used for lifting the frame mounting wheels free of the ground for the placing of the spud in position of use for turning the tower and its equipment from one setting to another.

For better understanding of the present invention, it is to be considered that the weight of the telescopic steel tower and its accessories is quite substantial. Also, that the carriage mounts thereon in the frames 11-11 a plurality of guyline cable drums and their controls, including powering and braking means. The overall weight of equipment carrier on the wheeled under carriage frame in the usual tower unit is approximately 50 tons.

Usually, the under carriage is supported for travel by paired wheels 20-20 located at opposite sides of the carrier medially of its ends as herein shown. The paired wheels at each side of the frame are mounted at the opposite ends of walking beams 21 which are pivoted on ends of a supporting cross-axle 22.

At its front end, the carrier frame is equipped with an extended goose neck 23 designed for attachment of the carrier to a dolly, towing truck or tractor. Also, the carrier frame is equipped at its forward end with a hydraulic leveling jack indicated at 24 to be used in conjunction with the rear end jacks 16-16 to level the carrier frame for use. It is to be observed also, that at its rear end, a plurality of guyline cable drums 25 are mounted in each of the laterally spaced frames 11-11 which support the tower on its carrier vehicle.

Referring now to the construction of the turning spud 15 and the manner of its mounting.

It has been shown in FIG. 3 that the transverse, boxlike housing 13 has its bottom wall 13b formed centrally between its ends and concentrically of the downwardly extended axial line of the erected :tower, with a circular opening in which the upper portion of a tubular flanged housing 31 is vertically secured by bolts 32 threaded through the flange and into wall 13b.

Coaxially contained in this bearing housing .31 is a stub shaft 34 which is axially revolubly supported at its ends, in upper and lower end sets of roller bearings 35- 35 mounted in the housing 31.

At its upper end, the stub shaft 34 is secured for rotation in its bearings 35-35 by a retaining plate 37 and lock nuts 38. At its lower end, it is secured centrally to the jack pad 40' of the spud as presently disclosed.

The pad 40 is of substantial diameter and is formed at its top center with a vertically directed stud or post 42 that terminates at its top end in a semi-spherically rounded bearing surface 43 and just below its top end has a horizontal, diametric bore 44 that is conically flared from a medial point toward its opposite ends. The rounded top end portion of the lug 42 is seated in a complemental downwardly opening socket 45 in the lower end surface of stub shaft 34 and a pin 49 is extended through the bore 44 and is secured at its ends within the lower end of stub shaft 34, thus to secure the turning pad 40 of the spud to the shaft end; the pin 49 being secured to the lower end of the shaft 34 by an overlying plate 37' which is secured to the shaft end by bolts 46.

With the spud 15 so constructed and attached to the carrier as illustrated and described, its mode of operation is as follows:

Assuming that the tower 10 has been erected and properly guyed and that it is desired to swing the carrying vehicle to a new angular setting, the leveling jacks 16-16 are first extended to take the weight of the tower and equipment off the vehicle wheels. Then the pad 40 of the spud is placed in position and its pivot post 42 secured to stub shaft 34, as in FIG. 3. Then the pad 40 is blocked up as in FIG. 3. Then the paired leveling jacks 16-16 are retracted clear of the surface, to cause the spud to sustain the weight of the tower equipment.

'dolly'or tractorwith a'fifth-wheel turning connection is brought into position to receive the turning ball at the forward end of the goose neck 23. Finally, the dolly or tractor is energized to pull the front end of the carrier vehicle about the turning pivot as provided by the spud 'j 15 to the desired new setting.

With the use of the turning spud as above described and i as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the usual procedure of releasing the tower guy lines and lowering the tower to change from one setting to another is eliminated and much time saved in this mode of operation.

WhatI claim as new is! p 1. The method of resetting a wheeled carrier vehicle 'with a logging'tower erected thereon and guyed for use; said method comprising jacking the vehicle to clear its ,wheels'from the supporting surface, placing a turning spud beneath the frame in axial alignment with the tower,

lowering the lifted vehicle to place and sustain the lifted weight on the spud While the vehicle wheels still remain out of surface contact, swinging the vehicle about the lifting spud to the desired new setting, extending the lifting jacks'for removal of the spud from its sustaining position 'and finally lowering the jacks for the support of frame and tower by thevehicle wheels.

2. The combination with a wheeled carrier vehicle having afr'ame structure serving as a mounting base on which a guyed logging tower is erected for use; lifting jacks applied to the frame structure and operable for leveling it and for lifting it and the erected tower to clear the vehicle wheels from the supporting surface, and a ,turning spud applied to said frame in the axial line of the tower for sustaining the Weight of the lifted frame and tower upon retraction of the lifting jacks thus to provide for, pivotally swinging the vehicle frame thereon about the axial line 'of the tower to a new setting.

3. A combination according to claim 2 wherein the frame structure comprises opposite side beams and a cross-member joining said side beams, and mounting the tower thereon medially of said beams, and wherein the leveling jacks are mounted on said side beams in transverse alignment and said spud is mounted on the bottom of said cross-member.

4. A combination as recited in claim 3 wherein the carrier frame is supported at its rearward end portion on said carrier wheels and at its forward end is equipped with leveling jack and goose-neck with fifth-wheel fitting for its support and turning by a powered vehicle.

5. A combination, according to claim 2, wherein the turning spud comprises a supporting pad formed ata medial point with an upstanding stud, a flanged bearing sleeve fitted and secured to the bottom wall of the cross- 1 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,132 12/1959 Tramerye et a1. -1 2,985,429 5/1961 LeTourneau 52116 X 3,195,695 7/1965 McIntyre 52-116 3,229,019 3/1966 Ida 1801 RICHARD w. COOKE, .TR., Primary Examiner. 

2. THE COMBINATION WITH A WHEELED CARRIER VEHICLE HAVING A FRAME STRUCTURE SERVING AS A MOUNTING BASE ON WHICH A GUYED LOGGING TOWER IS ERECTED FOR USE; LIFTING JACKS APPLIED TO THE FRAME STRUCTURE AND OPERABLE FOR LEVELING IT AND FOR LIFTING IT AND THE ERECTED TOWER TO CLEAR THE VEHICLE WHEELS FROM THE SUPPORTING SURFACE, AND A TURNING SPUD APPLIED TO SAID FRAME IN THE AXIAL LINE OF THE TOWER FOR SUSTAINING THE WEIGHT OF THE LIFTED FRAME AND TOWER UPON RETRACTION OF THE LIFTING JACKS THUS TO PROVIDE FOR PIVOTALLY SWINGING THE VEHICLE FRAME THEREON ABOUT THE AXIAL LINE OF THE TOWER TO A NEW SETTING. 